The personal representative is the person to whom the Letters of Administration of an estate are granted. The personal representative manages the estate on behalf of the beneficiaries, who are persons entitled to maintenance by the deceased either directly or by the proxy of those in whose favor the right existed.
Section 21(1) of the Non-contentious probates rules 1954 has established the following order for personal representatives;
- The surviving spouse,
- The children of the deceased or the issue of any child who has died during the lifetime of the deceased,
- The father or mother of the deceased,
- Brothers and sisters of the whole blood, or the issue of any deceased brother or sister of the whole blood who has died.
The list stretches to include brother and sister of the half-blood or their issue, grandparents, uncles and aunts of the whole blood, and their issue and ends with uncles and aunts of the half-blood or their issue.